Arrangement having a seismically reinforced component

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to an arrangement with an earthquake-proof, pole-type or tower-type projecting component ( 1 ) of an industrial plant. It preferably relates to an arrangement for the protection of such a component ( 1 ) of a plant for generating, distributing or transforming electricity. 
     The invention starts from an arrangement, in which the earthquake-proof component ( 1 ) in question is anchored via a foundation in ground or base ( 4 ) or is attached via a fastening element ( 3 ) to ground or base ( 4 ) or to another component of the plant. For earthquake protection according to the invention, only one vertically aligned screw-type spring ( 2 ) is disposed between the foundation or the fastening element and the earthquake-proof component ( 1 ). This is joined in a force-fitting and/or form-fitting manner with the foundation or fastening element ( 3 ) as well as with the axially lower end of earthquake-proof component ( 1 ), whereby the screw-type pressure spring ( 2 ) is loaded exclusively vertically and to bending, i.e., dynamically, in case of an earthquake.

The invention relates to an arrangement with an earthquake-proof pole-type or tower-type projecting component. It refers to the earthquake protection of such a component, which projects vertically as part of an industrial plant. Without being limited thereto, the invention preferably involves an arrangement for the protection of a component of a plant for generating or distributing electricity or for transforming it.

In earthquake-endangered regions of the earth, technical solutions for protecting buildings, structures and industrial plants from the effects of an earthquake are increasing in importance. Thus, a plurality of technical solutions have already been developed, in particular, for protecting buildings and the persons living and/or working therein. These types of solutions are frequently very complex and therefore expensive. For the protection of human life, a correspondingly high expenditure is, of course, surely justified in each case.

Over and above this, however, solutions also need to be found for the protection of infrastructure from a disruption due to the effects of an earthquake. It is right after a severe earthquake that the availability of a largely intact infrastructure and of supply equipment becomes particularly important. This is true especially for supplying electricity. It is therefore also true that solutions must be found for protecting the plants involved, solutions that are effective, but are significantly more cost-effective than the complex measures for protecting human life. In such cases, it must be taken into consideration that plants for generating electricity, distributing electricity, or transforming electricity frequently comprise a plurality of components which project vertically in a pole-type or tower-type manner, such as, for example, the poles of a high-voltage line.

A solution for a high-voltage plant has become known, for example, by JP 05 101 730 A for the earthquake protection of such a pole-type or tower-type projecting component. According to this publication, in the construction of the respective pole-type component, a damping unit is incorporated, in which an expansion bellows is disposed in a tube-shaped or hollow cylindrical segment and an annular element is disposed around this bellows, the annular element composed of alternating horizontally disposed springs and damping elements. In this way, due to their horizontal arrangement, the springs are vertically statically loaded by the earthquake-proof component projecting over them, and in an earthquake, as is known from other solutions of the prior art, are stressed horizontally and vertically.

A solution is known from JP 06 245 336 A in which the insulator body of a pole-type projecting element of a high-voltage plant, this insulator being made of glass, ceramics or porcelain, is connected with a mass that moves in a type of pendulum manner in a viscous damping medium. The entire arrangement is stood up on a support, whereby the earthquake-proof component is connected to the vertical element of the support via a horizontally disposed annular spring element. Both of the previously described solutions already have a relatively simple construction based on the fact that they are of a passive type.

The object of the invention is to provide an alternative solution for the earthquake protection of pole-type or tower-type vertically projecting components, which, in addition, preferably has an even simpler construction.

The invention is solved by an arrangement with the features of the principal claim. Advantageous embodiments and enhancements of the invention are given by the subclaims.

The solution according to the invention for an earthquake-proof, pole-type or tower-type vertically projecting component of an industrial plant starts out from an arrangement, in which the earthquake-proof component in question is anchored via a foundation in the base or ground or is attached via a fastening element to the base or ground or to another component of the plant.

According to the invention, in this case, only one vertically aligned screw-type spring is disposed between the above-named foundation or the fastening element and the earthquake-proof component. This is joined in a force-fitting or form-fitting manner with the foundation or the fastening element as well as with the axially lower end of the earthquake-proof component. In distinction from the solutions of the previously known prior art, in this novel solution for earthquake protection, with only a vertically disposed screw-type pressure spring, the spring is dynamically loaded exclusively vertically and to bending. On the one hand, it is statically loaded vertically by the gravitational force of the earthquake-proof component that is introduced, and, on the other hand, it is stressed dynamically, thus in the case of an earthquake, exclusively vertically and to bending. In laboratory experiments, it has been shown surprisingly that an effective solution for the earthquake protection of pole-type or tower-type projecting components is provided by this very simple arrangement as a part of a corresponding arrangement.

Here, the arrangement according to the invention basically involves, or in a number of cases of application, exclusively involves an appropriately dimensioned, vertically disposed screw-type pressure spring. According to one possible embodiment of the invention, the earthquake-proof component involves a component of a plant for generating, distributing, or transforming electricity. A case of application that is particularly relevant in practice is provided by an arrangement, in which the earthquake-proof component involves a current transformer with a vertically projecting insulator, i.e., a glass, ceramic or porcelain body, whereby the screw-type pressure spring is disposed underneath the insulator in question on the current transformer and is attached to the bottom of the stand for the current transformer. An appropriately designed arrangement, however, can also be used for the earthquake protection of the pole of a power line.

As already stated, an effective earthquake protection, corresponding to the basic concept of the invention, is already provided by the one screw-type pressure spring vertically disposed underneath the earthquake-proof component. However, this does not exclude the fact that, depending on the application, additional measures may further increase or improve the effectiveness of the earthquake protection given by the screw-type pressure spring, but will do so while basically maintaining a simple construction with only one screw-type pressure spring. For this purpose, according to one possible enhancement of the invention, one or more dampers are disposed underneath the earthquake-proof component, parallel to the screw-type pressure spring. In this case, viscoelastic dampers, elastic-plastic dampers or even hydraulic dampers may be involved.

According to another embodiment of the invention, for damping the screw-type pressure spring, a type of shrink tubing made of an elastic material is disposed around this spring. Another possible embodiment is also given by the fact that the screw-type pressure spring is set up in a tank filled with a viscous damping mass. For example, silicone oil or bitumen are considered as a viscous (preferably highly viscous), i.e., freely flowing mass for filling a tank surrounding the screw-type pressure spring.

Further, an effective protection, however, can also be achieved in the case of a comparatively simple construction by embedding the screw-type pressure spring or at least one of its axial ends, preferably the axial lower end, in an elastic-plastic mass. Foamed or molded elastomers can be used with advantage for this purpose.

The invention will be explained once more in more detail below on the basis of an embodiment example. For this purpose, the arrangement of a component 1 provided with earthquake protection according to the invention is shown in FIG. 1, by way of example. This involves a current transformer 5, 6, 7. The current transformer 5, 6, 7 comprises: an upper container 5, in which is placed the actual transformer; an insulator, for example, in the form of a ceramic body 6; and a lower, secondary terminal box 7 by means of which screw-type pressure spring 2 is attached to current transformer 5, 6, 7. It can be seen from the FIGURE that, in particular, the vertically projecting brittle ceramic body 6 of current transformer 5, 6, 7 is in danger of breaking up in the case of a dynamic stress due to vibrations that occur as a consequence of an earthquake. Therefore, corresponding to the basic concept of the invention, a screw-type pressure spring 2 is disposed in vertical alignment underneath ceramic body 6 of earthquake-proof component 1, in axial alignment with the vertically projecting ceramic body 6. Screw-type pressure spring 2 is connected to earthquake-proof component 1 at secondary terminal box 7 of current transformer 5, 6, 7 and is fastened at the other axial end via plate 3, with the screw connections belonging to it, to ground or base 4, for example, a concrete surface. The arrangement shown serves for effective earthquake protection, exclusively employing a screw-type pressure spring 2, the outer diameter of which corresponds in order of magnitude to the outer diameter of the pole-shaped, earthquake-proof component 1, as can be seen from the drawing.

In distinction from the example shown in FIG. 1, plate 3, with the screw connections indicated by the vertical lines to the left and right of screw-type pressure spring 2, can also be configured as a base plate of a pot-shaped fastening element, whereby the corresponding base plate projects laterally to form the pot-shaped part of the fastening element in question. In this case, the lower windings of screw-type pressure spring 2 would be embedded in a plastic-elastic mass that damps screw-type pressure spring 2 and would be taken up by the pot-shaped part of the fastening element, and attached to ground or base 4 via the base surface of the pot-shaped element with screw connections belonging to it.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS USED

-   1 (Earthquake-proof) component -   2 Screw-type pressure spring -   3 Fastening element, for example, plate with screw connections -   4 Ground or base -   5 Current transformer (box containing transformer) -   6 Current transformer (insulator, for example, ceramic body) -   7 Current transformer (box or secondary terminal box) 

1. An arrangement with an earthquake-proof, pole-type or tower-type vertically projecting component of an industrial plant, in which the component in question is anchored via a foundation in ground or base or is attached via a fastening element to ground or base or to another component of the plant, is hereby characterized in that a vertically aligned screw-type pressure spring is disposed between the foundation or fastening element and earthquake-proof component, which is joined in a force-fitting and/or form-fitting manner with the foundation or fastening element as well as with the axially lower end of earthquake-proof component, whereby screw-type pressure spring which is loaded statically vertically by earthquake-proof component is stressed exclusively vertically and to bending in the case of an earthquake.
 2. The arrangement according to claim 1, further characterized in that the cross-sectional area of the screw-type pressure spring approximately corresponds to the cross-sectional area of the pole-type or tower-type component.
 3. The arrangement according to claim 1, further characterized in that earthquake-proof component involves a component of a plant for power generation, in particular for generating electricity or a component of a plant for distributing or transforming electricity.
 4. The arrangement according to claim 3, further characterized in that component involves a current transformer with a vertically projecting glass, ceramic, or porcelain body, and screw-type pressure spring is disposed underneath glass, ceramic, or porcelain body of current transformer and is attached by means of a plate preferably screwed onto ground or base.
 5. The arrangement according to claim 3, further characterized in that component involves the pole of a power line.
 6. The arrangement according to claim 1, further characterized in that one or more dampers are additionally disposed underneath earthquake-proof component, parallel to screw-type pressure spring.
 7. The arrangement according to claim 1, further characterized in that a shrink tubing is disposed around screw-type pressure spring in order to damp it.
 8. The arrangement according to claim 1, further characterized in that screw-type pressure spring is set up in a container filled with a viscous mass and formed as part of fastening element.
 9. The arrangement according to claim 8, further characterized in that the viscous mass involves bitumen or silicone oil.
 10. The arrangement according to claim 1, further characterized in that the entire screw-type pressure spring or at least one of its axial ends is embedded in an elastic-plastic mass.
 11. The arrangement according to claim 10, further characterized in that the elastic-plastic mass involves a foamed or molded elastomer. 